The non-limiting embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to compositions and methods useful for enhancing hair growth, promoting skin regeneration, and wound healing. The non-limiting embodiments disclosed herein also generally related to methods of screening for a compound capable of increasing cell proliferation.
There are inadequate methods for regenerating skin or inducing hair growth in a subject (e.g., for treatment of a disease or condition where regenerating skin or inducing hair growth is beneficial). In addition, impaired wound healing represents a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. The wound-healing process is a complex biological process where both differentiated and stem cells as well as cytokines/chemokines, growth factors, and skin matrix components are essential for effective wound healing. Expensive growth factors are often required for cell proliferation, and even then, expansion is often not optimal. Thus, molecules which replace or enhance the actions of growth factors and allow increased expansion of cells in culture, particularly stem cells such as skin-derived precursors (SKPs) are desirable.
Thus, there is a need for molecules that promote the proliferation and self-renewal of cells, such as SKPs. These molecules may be highly advantageous for cosmetic and medical purposes (e.g., hair growth, skin regeneration, and wound healing).